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Friday, 3 June 2011

Peter Pan is a British creation but the Americans have claimed it as their cultural property. La Planète des singes (Planet of the Apes) is French inspiration but the Americans have claimed that too.

Thank America.

Planet of the Apes (pub. 1963) is a novel with a book-dropping surprise ending. The 1968 movie has a different ending – it is the best ending in cinema. Both book and movie are more than their respective fade-outs. They transcend the sci-fi genre and have become art and culture.

In this second trailer for Rise of the Planet of the Apes 2011 the linear narrative of the film becomes clearer. There is no inspiration here. The trailer heralds “Evolution Becomes Revolution” but it is metamorphosis that is the order of this film.

The story looks simple. A scientist creates a wonder drug that inadvertently makes monkeys smart. Then they take over the world. The film favours the monkeys as the heroes over the human villains – hairy monkey good; hairless monkey bad.

In keeping with the evil humans theme it looks like actor David Oyewole a Yoruba-British actor (that’s black to you) gets to play the evil corporate boss who meets a deserved evil demise. This is in keeping with Western culture: white monkey good; black monkey bad.

It’s the antithesis of Planet of the Apes.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is released 5th August in the US and 12th August in the UK.